In this week's installment of Global Notes, we examine a genre that may not be as quintessentially American as it seems: disco.Fifty-two years ago this week, Franzkarl Schwendinger opened the "Scotch Club" in the quiet German city of Aachen.

A new architecture tour let people from across the region indulge their curiosity over the weekend. Open House Chicago gave the public access to about 130 nooks and crannies that are normally off limits, such as the store windows at Macy's.

Architecturally savvy people — or those of us who are just a little nosey — can tour sites that are usually off-limits to the public this Saturday and Sunday.Open House Chicago lets visitors get into more than 130 secret nooks and crannies throughout the city.